Grammar ballot rules approved

20th November 1998, 12:00am
Ballots giving parents the right to end selection in the remaining 164 grammar schools were given the go-ahead by Parliament this week.

Ministers were accused of rigging the rules in order to engineer the scrapping of grammar schools. But anti-selection campaigners said the ballot arrangements are unworkably complicated.

A petition of 20 per cent of eligible parents is needed to trigger a ballot. In 10 local authorities, the petition and ballot will include all parents.

Roy Hattersley, page 15